Something wrong with DSE rack!!

[dontlifttoshift]

Are you driving the car? If so, I assume it has been aligned, if not see below.



Measure the toe in/out for us. It doesn't have to be fancy, point the wheels straight and pick a spot on the tire tread to measure from, front and rear.

[badazz81z28]

Yes, its been aligned. Now that I'm in Vegas I'm gonna have it done again. I planned to do it after I installed the Baer Brakes and that's when I noticed the wheel was rubbing and acting as a steering stop.

[rchaskin]

I don't think some fully understand without seeing it. Even if you center the rack, adjust the tires to be straight again, you turn lock right and it will still hit acting as the steering stop

Just a check, are the steering arms the same length?

[dhutton]

I think this is what you are talking about:

https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...ion?highlight=

Don

[badazz81z28]

I think this is what you are talking about:

https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...ion?highlight=

Don

Investigating this....I honestly think the C-clip limiter is not installed on one side of the rack.

[TheJDMan]

Investigating this....I honestly think the C-clip limiter is not installed on one side of the rack.

OK then pull the rubber boots loose from the body of the rack and look. It only takes a couple of minutes to see if the limiters are in place. My DSE rack had two limiters per side and I added one additional per side to keep my wheels from contacting my LCAs.

[thumper877]

Question can u put the limiter on just the one side or do u have to put it on both sides

[badazz81z28]

Just noticed the boots are metal banded on so I felt for the limiters and i could tell a limiter was there on both sides. I did observe the turning again and noticed the boot is about stretched to its max when turning right. It also goes so far the slips past the groove on the rack side tie Rod. Turning left is just fine. Anyone know what the limiters hit yo stop the rack?

DSE did not get back with me today

[badazz81z28]

Pics, can really tell you much

[badazz81z28]

More

[carbuff]

As I read this, I was thinking the limiters aren't correct. You can have any number on either side, I know I do not have the same number side to side. You can get thick and thin ones. I just added enough to keep my tires from touching the LCA.

Cut the bands and get some large wire ties. That's what I did (not a DSE, but the same basic rack). You can pull the wire ties tight enough to keep the boots from slipping off as there is a groove in the rack body that will help grab the boot.

[dhutton]

You can buy the metal bands and installation tool on eBay.

[badazz81z28]

As I read this, I was thinking the limiters aren't correct. You can have any number on either side, I know I do not have the same number side to side. You can get thick and thin ones. I just added enough to keep my tires from touching the LCA.

Cut the bands and get some large wire ties. That's what I did (not a DSE, but the same basic rack). You can pull the wire ties tight enough to keep the boots from slipping off as there is a groove in the rack body that will help grab the boot.

Do do you know of a source and the correct ones to buy?

[thumper877]

I have the part number at home I will get it for u u buy them at ford. I also was wondering hope this is not a stupid question if u want the right side to not turn as far u would put the spacer on the left side of the rack ?

[thumper877]

ford part number N804842S comes in a package of 4

[badazz81z28]

I have the part number at home I will get it for u u buy them at ford. I also was wondering hope this is not a stupid question if u want the right side to not turn as far u would put the spacer on the left side of the rack ?

Yup, its the left side limiter that prevents movement to the right. That limiter should bump into something inside the rack. The travel on the on the driver side wheel is perfect, so is the passenger really, but it just goes too far and hits the control arm.

If the DSE rack for the 70-81 Camaros needs by design a different thickness of limiters, DSE should tell me that.

The rack body itself is not centered on the frame. So the passenger side tie rod end needs to be longer to equal out. I think it is, but like I said the limiters seems wrong

[carbuff]

I don't have any part numbers handy, but there are 2 different thicknesses of these available. They are made of delrin I believe. I got some ones which were black and not solid, and they did not hold up. The other ones I've used are white and solid.

I purchased mine from a Ford aftermarket dealer out of the DFW area, but I expect you could get them from any Ford dealer.

[badazz81z28]

I don't have any part numbers handy, but there are 2 different thicknesses of these available. They are made of delrin I believe. I got some ones which were black and not solid, and they did not hold up. The other ones I've used are white and solid.

I purchased mine from a Ford aftermarket dealer out of the DFW area, but I expect you could get them from any Ford dealer.

Bryan,

What thickness did you use on either side?

[carbuff]

I honestly don't remember, it's been a couple of years. I installed shims until I didn't have any more tire rub. Unscientific, I know, but that was my purpose for installing them. I know that I have more on one side than the other. I think the rack originally has 1 in each side, and I've ended up with 2.5 - 3.5 as best I can recall (the .5 being the thinner shim).

It really was trial and error for me. I did limit my turning radius, which makes getting into my garage a 3-point event, but I was also rubbing the edge of the inner barrel on the Forgelines, so I wanted to prevent that.

Each pack of the spacers comes with 4 in it as I recall. And they are cheap. If you only have a problem on one side, then you shouldn't need more than one...

[TheJDMan]

The problem is you are measuring equal threads on the tie rods and assuming that centers the rack when in fact it does not. You are also looking at the rack mounts which are not symetrical and assuming they are wrong but that is normal with the DSE sub. The only way the rack is centered in it's travel is if you have equal movement left and right. As long as you say you have more movement right then left you are simply telling me that you do not have the rack centered. Once the rack is centered in it's travel, and it has equal travel left and right, then you can line up the column so the steering wheel is centered. I would be willing to bet money that your column is off by one spline to the left relative to the rack input shaft making the wheel look straight while in fact the rack is not actually in the center of it's travel. By setting the tie rods equal you are just adjusting to an arbitrary measurement not a correct setting. You are assuming both tie rods were machined exactly the same and that they are exactly the same length. Now you can add limiters to one side to crutch the rack back to a false center of travel but basically the column and alignment are both off and you are just limiting one side to compensate and make it look right. There is nothing wrong with the rack and there is nothing wrong with the way it is mounted in the DSE frame. The problem is you still do not have the rack centered in it's actual travel range, it's that simple. I know, I did this same thing with my rack till the light bulb suddenly went on about a year after the initial installation and I realized what I had done wrong. Once I correctly centered my rack, I then had equal wheel rub on the left and right LCA and from that point it was a simple matter to install limiters on both sides. it's frustrating because I can see exactly what you're doing because I did the exact same thing but I don't know how to explain it any clearer.